4.25

1

Oct 07, 2014

As a fan of KISS, I was sincerely looking forward to reading a book on entrepreneurship by the immortal Gene Simmons. Something most of the world has forgotten is that no one had ever done what KISS did right out of the gate and continue to do in the world of business. It made perfect sense for an instructional manual to manifest from the genius behind the painted faces. Unfortunately, Me, Inc. did not live up to my expectations, which normally could be forgiven considering the mountain of As a fan of KISS, I was sincerely looking forward to reading a book on entrepreneurship by the immortal Gene Simmons. Something most of the world has forgotten is that no one had ever done what KISS did right out of the gate and continue to do in the world of business. It made perfect sense for an instructional manual to manifest from the genius behind the painted faces. Unfortunately, Me, Inc. did not live up to my expectations, which normally could be forgiven considering the mountain of quantifiable results Mr. Simmons has accomplished. Initially, I hoped that my disappointment could be blamed on the fact that my copy was an unedited edition that would only require some minor adjustments. What I found were deep rooted challenges concerning his beliefs and perspectives in so many arenas that finishing the book became a burden. While I sincerely appreciate Me, Inc.'s brutal frankness and honesty concerning the state of the business world currently, it was, for Mr. Simmons, uncharacteristically uninspiring and visionless concerning how the business world could be if people truly understood the power an entrepreneur wields during the internet and technology revolutions. Mr. Simmons' attempt at a guide-book for the blossoming business-person fell terribly short. Some of the information is sound in practice, but came across as cliche and even hypocritical at times making absorption and application nearly impossible due to the burdensome distraction of unoriginal advice and the overbearing use of the pronoun, "I." I (burdensome pronoun alert) will remain a staunch fan of KISS and Gene Simmons, however, Me, Inc. will need some rethinking before expecting to really be helpful. If anyone can correct this misstep, it's Mr. Simmons. It will be exciting to see his next creation unfold. ...more

4

Sep 16, 2019

I don't agree with everything in this book and some of the things he recommends are more likely to lead to burnout than something positive. I also don't share his enthusiasm with America. Heck, I don't think most Americans do. Especially those without basic security like health insurance. And I understand there's a lot of them. However, there's lots of wisdom in this book, and this guy walks the walk, that's for sure. He also gives new (real) meaning to the phrase "coming from nothing". No Jenny I don't agree with everything in this book and some of the things he recommends are more likely to lead to burnout than something positive. I also don't share his enthusiasm with America. Heck, I don't think most Americans do. Especially those without basic security like health insurance. And I understand there's a lot of them. However, there's lots of wisdom in this book, and this guy walks the walk, that's for sure. He also gives new (real) meaning to the phrase "coming from nothing". No Jenny from the bullock. No scholastic managerial bullshit. Not much philosophizing. Just pure life experience. ...more

4

Feb 05, 2017

The King of both KISS and Capitalism takes a cold, hard look at himself and how to succeed at business in A-more-ica. The entire first half of the book is called "ME" and is yet another retelling of his life. (Just in case you missed his biography or the TV series.) I was tempted to skip this section, but I'm glad I didn't. It really does help you to understand the mindset of someone driven to succeed.

The second half of the book is called "YOU" and focuses on... actually more of Gene Simmons, The King of both KISS and Capitalism takes a cold, hard look at himself and how to succeed at business in A-more-ica. The entire first half of the book is called "ME" and is yet another retelling of his life. (Just in case you missed his biography or the TV series.) I was tempted to skip this section, but I'm glad I didn't. It really does help you to understand the mindset of someone driven to succeed.

The second half of the book is called "YOU" and focuses on... actually more of Gene Simmons, but also lists 13 takeaways for "YOU" to be more like Gene Simmons if you want to be successful.

Motivating, narcissistic, and (brutally, unapologeticly) honest in a way that only a one-percenter rock god can be.

Your homework is to do a comparison/contrast of Gene Simmons and 50 Cent (see The 50th Law)

-Zero ...more

5

January 18, 2017

I half expected another.. "Im Gene Simmons,and Im awesome" book, but I was pleasantly surprised. Even the first part about his story is humble in its writing. No holds barred.. and insightful. Just not arrogant and boastful. In the end it is a Thank You America for being the land of opportunity book...Full Review

5

March 18, 2017

Good book and a quick read. I don't think he necessarily meant to be, but Gene is pretty humorous just laying it out there.

2

Oct 09, 2014

I commend Mr. Simmons on his success; he had a goal and was determined to achieve it, and did! Unfortunately, I cannot give this book as high of a rating as I had expected that I would. I received this book as one of the Goodreads Giveaways and was disappointed that it was a proof. There were a lot of editing mistakes, which made it challenging to read.

As businesswoman myself, I do not agree with some of the points Mr. Simmons makes. To achieve success, you must work at it. I agree with Mr. I commend Mr. Simmons on his success; he had a goal and was determined to achieve it, and did! Unfortunately, I cannot give this book as high of a rating as I had expected that I would. I received this book as one of the Goodreads Giveaways and was disappointed that it was a proof. There were a lot of editing mistakes, which made it challenging to read.

As businesswoman myself, I do not agree with some of the points Mr. Simmons makes. To achieve success, you must work at it. I agree with Mr. Simmons on that point. However, the journey to obtaining your success is not always a matter of 'working hard.' I see it as working smart. You are the one who makes the decision, but to achieve your success, there are a variety of people that influence your success or failure.

Mr. Simmons appears to be of the mindset I consider 'old thinking' when it comes to business. Thanks to the internet and other resources, the ability to create your own business or product is much different, especially with the need for investors or initial capital. Also, his limited suggestion of investing in the stock market and basic insurance that he describes is very restricting.

I am a person who chooses to look at the positive in every situation. There are no problems, only situations, challenges and opportunities. At times, Mr. Simmons came across pessimistic, stereotypical and uneducated for a man who has had the experience he has had. I disagree with his suggestions to women and children entrepreneurs, ultimately because he is not a woman and his statements are from a male perspective. A negative mindset, for anyone, can hinder your growth in both personal and business aspects of your life.

To me, personally, there are many more appropriate business books for new and aspiring entrepreneurs than Mr. Simmons'. He attempted to relate his points to the book Art of War and he was unable to mesh the two concepts together as accurately as I anticipated.

To start your entrepreneurial journey, I strongly recommend the following books instead: The Magic of Thinking Big, Ask and It Is Given, The Law of Success in 16 Lessons (1925 edition), The Power of Positive Thinking, The Magic of Believing, The Happiness Advantage, Creative Intelligence and The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. ...more

4

January 16, 2017

Simple and to the point. Even if most of the concepts aren't exactly new, Gene Simmons' direct and unapologetic delivery is the kick in the ass many, such as myself, need.

2

Dec 11, 2014

My only reason to read this book was that my son purchased it from Gene Simmons and had it signed and felt it was motivating. Thus I read it. The first chapters were entirely in my opinion self absorbed. The only interest I found was the childhood and history of the mans early years. I felt strongly that him having to grow up in the restrictive environment of not having any essentials for living made for a very difficult life that made him determined he would pull himself up and out and never My only reason to read this book was that my son purchased it from Gene Simmons and had it signed and felt it was motivating. Thus I read it. The first chapters were entirely in my opinion self absorbed. The only interest I found was the childhood and history of the mans early years. I felt strongly that him having to grow up in the restrictive environment of not having any essentials for living made for a very difficult life that made him determined he would pull himself up and out and never return to that lifestyle ever again. You have to admire someone who along with his mother were able to love America, respect it's ideals and become a successful businessman. Gene Simmons noted several times how self centered he had been and how he learned to become more involved in the caring of others. Well that was only what I read in the first part of the book, the second part reversed to saying once again how arrogant he really is and that his main objective is to have MORE of everything and that ME (himself) was the priority of his existence. His principles in the last chapters were several of common sense but personally name dropping and using others for your profit are not what I feel should be anyone's way of achievement. In all fairness this man knows how to grow and gain in his world, it was interesting to read his insight but my standards fall short of his expectations. (all my personal opinions, readers should make their own judgments based on their own reading) ...more

5

January 16, 2015

I half expected another.. "Im Gene Simmons,and Im awesome" book, but I was pleasantly surprised. Even the first part about his story is humble in its writing. No holds barred.. and insightful. Just not arrogant and boastful. In the end it is a Thank You America for being the land of opportunity book AND no excuses for not living the American Dream

5

Dec 04, 2017

This book is chockfull of valuable and practical information for getting ahead and establishing yourself. Gene Simmons doesn't mince words and gets straight to the point. God, but I wish I'd had this when I was younger! Unfortunately it comes too late to do me any good but I highly recommend it to anyone under thirty. Like he says, it's the stuff they don't teach you in school but it's what you NEED to know if you're going to make anything of yourself.

3

Dec 09, 2015

This came up when I narrowed my search to audiobooks about business that were "available now". I've HEARD of Gene Simmons and KISS but didn't really know anything about him or the band, so I thought I'd give this a shot.

It was pretty good. It's written for entrepreneurs and I am not one but it left me with the feeling that I can do anything I want to do if I put my mind to it.

Gene Simmons' personal story is interesting. I had no idea he lived such an eventful life.

His advice to people is very This came up when I narrowed my search to audiobooks about business that were "available now". I've HEARD of Gene Simmons and KISS but didn't really know anything about him or the band, so I thought I'd give this a shot.

It was pretty good. It's written for entrepreneurs and I am not one but it left me with the feeling that I can do anything I want to do if I put my mind to it.

Gene Simmons' personal story is interesting. I had no idea he lived such an eventful life.

His advice to people is very real and time-tested. He doesn't hold back on letting you know that if you want to earn more than the average dude, you have to work harder than the average dude. He states that you should take no vacations. Have no children. Waste not a second of your productive years when you should be building your empire.

And apparently this fellow walked the walked. He lived with his mother throughout his 20s. He says he's never been drunk or high. He insisted on a pre-nup before wedding his partner of 28 years.

He uses the word "partner" a lot and reiterates the importance of spending time with people who raise you up and encourage you.

He seems a little arrogant in the middle part of the book where he just lists all his accomplishments. But further along, he also lists his failures, so there is some balance.

I also appreciated the chapter he used to discuss the importance of "giving back" once you've made it big.

A lot of the things he says seem a little right wing, like "Speak English!" but he's speaking from the heart and he adds caveats like "I didn't make these rules and I'm not here to say if they are right or wrong."

At first I thought he was weirdly sexist because he suggests that women who can't wait to start a family should choose to marry and "older man that is well established financially", so that she can use this financial safety net to help her entrepreneurial dreams. I thought that was really odd and he'd never give that advice to a dude. But he then spends a whole chapter really thoroughly exploring the current state of women in our society and the privileges it affords. He also lays bare the challenges it presents. Overall, I really liked his somewhat unique take. You could tell he spent a lot of time thinking about it.

So, ya, go ahead and read this book sometime. It was pretty good. ...more

2

Mar 10, 2016

He has some good points, but a lot of the time when he was talking (AUDIOBOOK #2 FOLKS) I just felt like I'd heard a lot of it before (or it was common sense). Although he did make me feel bad that I have such a small savings account.

1

Mar 01, 2015

I only finished this because it was so darn funny.
DON'T TAKE VACATIONS.
Don't buy a house unless your net worth is 4 times the cost of the purchase.
Live with your parents as long as possible.
Don't have a girlfriend; they cost too much money.
LOL!

5

Jun 23, 2015

"...if you choose to become a smoker, you are idiot". Gene Simmons continues to give not one SINGLE fuck. Now he's giving out life advice, and it's great.

The book is very much in the vain of Ayn Rand's 'Virtue Of Selfishness' - except y'know...Gene's stuff is actually quite accessible and very often unintentionally hilarious in its bluntness.

Recommended!

4

Mar 09, 2017

I have this book in both print and audio CD versions (and if anyone wants to borrow them, they are welcome) and I wish I had either of these when I was 18. My life would have been different. Anyway, this was inspiring and may yet change the course of things. He says things that make sense and are largely common sense - but not things many of us really think about that we should be thinking about. I nearly have a PhD in management and leadership, and I have an MBA, and this book should be I have this book in both print and audio CD versions (and if anyone wants to borrow them, they are welcome) and I wish I had either of these when I was 18. My life would have been different. Anyway, this was inspiring and may yet change the course of things. He says things that make sense and are largely common sense - but not things many of us really think about that we should be thinking about. I nearly have a PhD in management and leadership, and I have an MBA, and this book should be mandatory reading for anyone wanting to be an entrepreneur. What he says will work will actually work. ...more

4

May 23, 2015

I found Me, Inc. to be a very interesting and motivational glimpse into Gene Simmons' own personal story. Through his insights and experiences, he offers keen insights and understanding on human nature in the world of business. This was by far my favorite part of the book.

In the second half of the book, Mr. Simmons offers his own unabashed advice for entrepreneurs and those just starting out, much of which is most appropriate to a young adult audience. Those of us now later in life can still I found Me, Inc. to be a very interesting and motivational glimpse into Gene Simmons' own personal story. Through his insights and experiences, he offers keen insights and understanding on human nature in the world of business. This was by far my favorite part of the book.

In the second half of the book, Mr. Simmons offers his own unabashed advice for entrepreneurs and those just starting out, much of which is most appropriate to a young adult audience. Those of us now later in life can still benefit from reflecting upon such advice, even when past many of the life milestones he discusses. Ironically, as life has taught those of us who've been around the block a time or two, the people who would most benefit from the advice or wisdom of someone so seasoned are most likely ones to disregard it anyway. Such is the irony of generations.

This book isn't remotely in the same league as works like 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. I nonetheless highly recommend it both for the interesting and sometimes entertaining background, the life lessons shared, and the value of reflecting on our approach for succeeding in business from a first hand master on the subject. ...more

5

Mar 29, 2015

I purchased this for many reason: 1. I'm a Gene fan. I'm a KISS fan. Beyond that, I'm also a fan of learning and learning from those who succeed. I'm an author who is just getting started. I signed my first pro contracts last year (yes that was contracts, plural), and I want my books (my babies) to succeed. I've recently been extended a position with the publishing company, as well. A small role, but one I received because I dove in these murky marketing waters and went for it. I believe in my I purchased this for many reason: 1. I'm a Gene fan. I'm a KISS fan. Beyond that, I'm also a fan of learning and learning from those who succeed. I'm an author who is just getting started. I signed my first pro contracts last year (yes that was contracts, plural), and I want my books (my babies) to succeed. I've recently been extended a position with the publishing company, as well. A small role, but one I received because I dove in these murky marketing waters and went for it. I believe in my publisher, I believe in my fellow authors, and I believe in myself.
That said, I need to continue my education and march toward my ultimate goal. And when I get to that goal, I will make a new goal and work towards that.
Me, Inc. by Simmons is exactly the right book for my plan at the right time. Gene shoots straight and doesn't pull any punches. He doesn't have to and if you want to succeed (as Gene has time and time again) you don't want him to hold back. I've already begun to put his words, his codes, his principles into action.
I loved this book. If you have a dream, an ambition, I advise you to grab Me, Inc. and read it IMMEDIATELY.
I am going to keep it loaded on my Kindle, so I can re-read it every five or six months.
Gene Simmons- Me, Inc.: Words to live by, words to succeed by. ...more

4

Apr 24, 2015

Good book from mega rock star and business genius Gene Simmons.
(Just a heads up, DONT expect to agree with all his advice)

This book is split into two sections:
Part 1 Me Inc - which covers Genes upbringing, stupid mistakes he made, life as an immigrant, and how he became successful

Part 2 You Inc - Genes covers his 13 principles for business success which includes: Dealing with failure, Work ethic, Not wasting time, Surrounding yourself with the right people, Being grateful for the ability to Good book from mega rock star and business genius Gene Simmons.
(Just a heads up, DONT expect to agree with all his advice)

This book is split into two sections:
Part 1 Me Inc - which covers Genes upbringing, stupid mistakes he made, life as an immigrant, and how he became successful

Part 2 You Inc - Genes covers his 13 principles for business success which includes: Dealing with failure, Work ethic, Not wasting time, Surrounding yourself with the right people, Being grateful for the ability to work, Making good choices and more.

My biggest take away was hearing how grateful he was to be in America and have a chance to climb the ladder of success. Sometimes we take for granted the luxuries and opportunities we have in our country. Genes story and sincere gratitude really helped me put things into perceptive.

At the close of the book Gene states "If the only thing this book does is change what you take for granted, make you reassess your life decisions and remind you that its all up to you to make you successful than I have done my job." This book definitely did that for me. Highly recommend.

Tony Rogers Jr
Author of Visionary:Making a difference in a world that needs YOU ...more

5

Jan 05, 2019

"Critics be damned...we were criticized by people who had never achieved anything....They simply had access to a typewriter and had a column. We ignored them. Then. And now. They mean nothing. Never have. Never will. "

I picked this book up immediately when I saw it because it was a book written about success, from a completely different perspective than I'm used to. I'm very glad I did as this is a great read. When I picked it up, I knew about KISS and that's about it. After reading this I "Critics be damned...we were criticized by people who had never achieved anything....They simply had access to a typewriter and had a column. We ignored them. Then. And now. They mean nothing. Never have. Never will. "

I picked this book up immediately when I saw it because it was a book written about success, from a completely different perspective than I'm used to. I'm very glad I did as this is a great read. When I picked it up, I knew about KISS and that's about it. After reading this I learned a lot more about Gene SImmons and his success. Here's a short summary of his laundry list: 10 Platinum albums, his own record label, his own publishing company, over 3000 KISS merchandise labels, over 300 million net worth, numerous business partnerships and company startups, immigrant from Israel to the US who spoke no English and who's single mother worked in a sweat shop. That's the short list.

This book was really a breath of fresh air as you can imagine Simmons is not PC in any form. He holds nothing back and tells it like it is. He also has a super massive ego but also recognizes that, and it doesn't get in the way. He's a great advocate of the entrepreneur route as well, though his focus is work your face off. (Or tongue in his case..)

"The only reason I was successful at anything was this same mentality--I jumped into the deep end, qualifications and naysayers be damned. You have to believe this about yourself."

I highly recommend this book. Simmons in an entertainer and business success, he writes with that perspective. It's an entertaining easy read. It does say many of the same success principles you'll find everywhere however, worded in a way that makes it very easy to digest. Before I read this I knew who KISS was, now I know who Gene Simmons is and I'm now a fan.

"You don't actually NEED much. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't have it all."
...more

5

Apr 16, 2018

Great read! At first I wasn't sure the book would be helpful. After reading the book I have a change of heart. Gene Simmons, although never having a formal business education provides the reader with some great tips on pursuing financial success.

4

Oct 15, 2014

√ Better it's MY MONEY than anyone else's."

ME, INC. is a well-written, hard-hitting discussion on how to make lots of BIG MONEY. Gene has the answer, and it's very clear: Focus 100% on ME. Not your wife, not your children, not your friends. Just ME.

The first part of ME, INC is a biography of Simmons, and what he did to achieve world fame in heavy metal rock. This was interesting, and illustrates the author's point about the opportunities to achieve great success in America. Simmons (not his √ Better it's MY MONEY than anyone else's."

ME, INC. is a well-written, hard-hitting discussion on how to make lots of BIG MONEY. Gene has the answer, and it's very clear: Focus 100% on ME. Not your wife, not your children, not your friends. Just ME.

The first part of ME, INC is a biography of Simmons, and what he did to achieve world fame in heavy metal rock. This was interesting, and illustrates the author's point about the opportunities to achieve great success in America. Simmons (not his given name, of course) came to the U.S. not even knowing English. He worked hard, saved his money, got an education, and figured out how to create a BRAND.

Part two contains Simmons' recipes for success. He calls these 13 tips the "Art of More." These principles are pretty good ideas. For example, #16, "Find Partners who Complement you," #3, "Learn from the Masters," etc. The tips are okay, and many of them are different aspects of the American work ethic. Work diligently, stop looking for excuses, don't give up, save money, watch your spending, educate yourself, etc. He admits that you might have some unusual obstacles to overcome, but so what--life isn't fair. Get over it and stop whining.

As reasonable (and practical) as many of these ideas are, however, Simmons' business tips are not the central theme of this book, nor are they much different than what is found in many success books. Old fashioned hard work and self-reliance is a common theme in many business books.

Gene hammers home repeatedly the central theme: Pursue your dream with absolute ruthless passion. Build your brand, and do whatever it takes. However hard you have to work, whatever you have to sacrifice. Don't take vacations, work all night if necessary, don't get married, don't have too many children--ANYTHING it takes. "Wait until you build your fortune, so you can afford to get married or divorced." If you take vacations and holidays, "that spells 'loser.'"

Gene uses Steve Jobs as another creative genius who was on a ruthless mission. Jobs was not an electronics genius, but he pursued hiis dream with a vengeance. He didn't let anything get in his way of his dream product and company.

Although the author uses Jobs as an example of what to do--ignore friends and family, pursue your dream with 100% pure dediction, Gene nonetheless hopes the reader will be more kindly-hearted than the callous Jobs. It seems to me that the author trips himself up here. Jobs was more consistent in the self-centered, ruthless approach to business than Simmons is. Why should anyone be more kind? That doesn't follow if you are consistent with the 100% ME philosophy.

The author suggests the Ashton Kutcher movie, JOBS, but the movie pales in comparison with the outstanding book by Walter Isaacson.


√ The message of ME, INC., is extremely clear: Ruthlessly pursue Big Money; make it the absolutely #1 goal of your life. Do not compromise. Do whatever it takes. Don't let anyone get in your way. If your dream is in fact the rainbow of Big Money, then ME, INC. is the right book for you.

♫ A Review by Chris Lawson

Review copy courtesy of Edelweiss Distributors. Note: I do not know the author of this book, and no one requested I write this review. Gene was too cheap to even give me any free KISS tickets.
...more

4

May 04, 2015

A very simple in your face lesson about how the business world works. If you like to be politically correct all the time then this book might not work for you which probably means you need to read it so you understand the real-truth about how business gets done.

I really enjoyed reading this book because this what people need to read and understand. Everyone is always looking for a short cut to success and Mr. Simmnons doesn't sugar coat what it actually takes. His life is one that many A very simple in your face lesson about how the business world works. If you like to be politically correct all the time then this book might not work for you which probably means you need to read it so you understand the real-truth about how business gets done.

I really enjoyed reading this book because this what people need to read and understand. Everyone is always looking for a short cut to success and Mr. Simmnons doesn't sugar coat what it actually takes. His life is one that many immigrants face when coming to a new country where they do not speak the same language. He made the full on effort to learn the language, get himself a college education and pay for it himself, and learn the latest skills he needed to know at the time. He knew it was all hard work and riding the subway train late at night meant there would be long periods of time he would be doing the same thing over and over.

The advice he gives is one youth and even adults need to understand. If you want to succeed you need to educate yourself about your field of interest to the point that you are the expert on it. How many people do you know who make a valid effort to get to the library and study for their own personal benefit? Not many but they are out there. One of the things that he mentions that I'm always telling people is that the public library was the best thing the US government did for its people, offering a place where people can learn anything for free. The sad thing is that most people think they only way to get a real education is by paying for it.

There is a lot of advice that he offers that kids and teens need to be taught and one of those is don't get married or have kids unless you can afford it; spend your twenties working on your career and buying a house so you have what you need to have and raise a family otherwise don't just have kids because you think you are supposed too. So many people need to know that lesson.

The suit makes the man is a great advice on knowing how you dress reflects the type of person you are. If you want to be a banker then dress how bankers dress, if you plan to work in a rock band then dress how rockers dress but how you dress reffects how serious you take your first impressions. ...more

1

Oct 16, 2017

According to Gene Simmons, the way to earn money (and it's all about the money) is to work hard, work all the time and never stop working. The book is split into two parts, one about Simmons and one about the advice he has for one to become successful in life.
The first part is actually pretty interesting. It traces his life from being born in Israel in poverty and then coming to America and how he comes through, working hard and earning money to support his mother and then on to establishing According to Gene Simmons, the way to earn money (and it's all about the money) is to work hard, work all the time and never stop working. The book is split into two parts, one about Simmons and one about the advice he has for one to become successful in life.
The first part is actually pretty interesting. It traces his life from being born in Israel in poverty and then coming to America and how he comes through, working hard and earning money to support his mother and then on to establishing KISS. Unfortunately the meaty parts are really short. The early parts of his life is really interesting and the impressions of a young poor boy coming to America is page-turning material but after turning a page, then that material runs out. While his experience with capitalism is interesting it's also slightly off-putting in a way. Perhaps it is in the missing empathy for other life-styles that is offending to me. Simmons tells us about his way but without remorse and portrays it as the only way.
The second part of the book is not better. There Simmons boils down the lessons he learned throughout life to let the reader make their own fortune. But it's again only grounded in his own experience which simply cannot work for everybody. Simmons' intense focus on earning money is also jarring as it seems like the purpose of earning money is to earn more money. It's great if it works for him, but the book discards trivial things like vacations and human relationships for the sole reason of earning more money. Simmons also believes that if what you do is what you love, then apparently it's also something that you can do indefinitely without rest or focusing on health.

I went into this book hoping that it would be a fun read with some few golden truths packaged in stories from the rock world which I don't know anything about. Instead it's a one-sided tale from a workaholic who doesn't seem to care much about the fact that money is a tool, a means to the end, but focuses on how to make more and more money with no regard on anything else but money. I would not recommend this if you're looking for business advice or as a biography (I think he has written a proper autobiography). ...more

3

Apr 09, 2015

I am a fan of Gene Simmons and Kiss, and respect the success that Simmons has achieved in America. this book is more business related than his other books, that mainly talk about his time in Kiss. Even though Simmons has proven his business brain works, there were some problems I found in the content.
One thing is Simmons claims to never take a vacation from your job and that time could be spent working at making more money. He also suggests that people should dump their friends that want to I am a fan of Gene Simmons and Kiss, and respect the success that Simmons has achieved in America. this book is more business related than his other books, that mainly talk about his time in Kiss. Even though Simmons has proven his business brain works, there were some problems I found in the content.
One thing is Simmons claims to never take a vacation from your job and that time could be spent working at making more money. He also suggests that people should dump their friends that want to hang out and say watch a ballgame or something like that on weekend and focus on money. The problem I have with this is if no vacation is taken, people get burned out and health problems occur. Not everyone can play in rock bands, nor does everyone get to work the job of their dreams. Also the thing about dumping your friends, getting rid of people that harm your life is a good thing, unwinding time away from work is also needed in my view. And while Simmons talks about spending free time making money, he also writes about the pain and stress doing whatever he wanted for years put on his wife and kids, which sounds contradicting.
Another good in theory comment he makes is to move to a big city instead of smaller towns to make money. In my opinion, if everyone moved to a big city, there would be less jobs for people. Plus, people need money to move-most companies have done away with re-locations packages, so if you are stuck in a job just covering your bills now, how do you save to move? In today's economy, which he fails to discuss, many employers are cutting jobs to part time and not offering a set schedule so someone could get a second job, which is encouraged by Simmons. In his previous books, he writes about working 2-3 jobs and still had weekends off to play in his band. Great if you could find those jobs but is not as realistic in today's world.
I do agree with the main theory of the book is that people need to work hard and try and better yourself in order to succeed and get a better job. I would not dare tell Simmons his views do not work, but to me , he fails to cover how the economy is today. ...more

3

Jan 12, 2015

I picked up this book without realizing Gene Simmons was a KISS member and apparently is still kind of a big deal. I did find some of his advice practical but didn't appreciate his lack of compassion and--let's not mince words--arrogance. Besides, he insisted on people doing a couple things to ensure success that only showed how clueless he was about people outside his social circles:

1. Look white.

Gene agonized over his Jewish heritage and argued he could succeed despite not looking American I picked up this book without realizing Gene Simmons was a KISS member and apparently is still kind of a big deal. I did find some of his advice practical but didn't appreciate his lack of compassion and--let's not mince words--arrogance. Besides, he insisted on people doing a couple things to ensure success that only showed how clueless he was about people outside his social circles:

1. Look white.

Gene agonized over his Jewish heritage and argued he could succeed despite not looking American (i.e., white). I had to google him because I wasn't sure what he looked like, and the images I saw confirmed it it wouldn't be that hard for him to pass for white. People continue to face discrimination in the U.S. because their damning skin tone and physical features make it obvious they're not white (even if they were born in the U.S.), and here's this guy, pretending like he gets it.

2. Speak English like a native speaker, damn it!

On this point, Gene again pretended to be one of the guys as if learning English as a young boy is somehow the same as learning English as an adult. Studies suggest that people can speak a second language without a trace of accent only if they learned it before they turned twelve, and Gene was eight years old when he immigrated to the U.S. Yet he again pulled the if-I-could-do-it-then-so-can-you card, completely oblivious to the challenges facing people who aren't him.

I agree with him in that people are judged by their accents and people with foreign accents are at a disadvantage, but his self-righteousness and lack of self-awareness put a question mark on his overall credibility. Oh, and by the way, Gene, Mid-Atlantic English is the kind Cary Grant and Katherine Hepburn spoke way back in the 1940s. What you're speaking is Hollywood English--people in (today's) Hollywood movies speak it. ...more